HADLEY, Mass. - Eight student-athletes have been nominated to represent the NESCAC as its NCAA Woman of the Year and Division III Commissioners Association (D3CA) Women's Sport Student-Athlete of the Year nominee. A committee of conference administrators will select the NESCAC's representative for the awards.
 
The NCAA Woman of the Year Award and the DIIICA Women's Sports Student-Athlete of the Year Awards honors graduating student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service, and leadership. More information on the award and a list of previous winners can be found here.
 
Sophia DiCocco, Tufts Softball
DiCocco graduated summa cum laude with an undergraduate degree from Tufts in international relations along with three minors – Italian studies, entrepreneurship, and studio art – while sporting a 3.88 GPA. A Dean’s List student every semester, DiCocco was named an Academic All-American in 2024, was a two-time Academic All-District honoree, and earned NESCAC All-Academic honors three times.
 
As an executive board member of the Tufts Leonard Carmichael Society, DiCocco was the Fundraising and Education Coordinator for Cancer Research, helping further cancer research and fundraising and organizing volunteer events through the American Cancer Society and The Jimmy Fund. DiCocco, who has a passion for healthcare, volunteered in the Backus (CT) Hospital Bridge program, served as an intern for Hartford Healthcare, and was a Borgen Project Political Affairs and Public Relations volunteer. She also served as a caretaker with the Stirrup Fun Stables Horse Rescue and the Kitty Harbor Cat Rescue organizations.
 
Finishing with an 18-6 record and 0.94 earned run average in the circle, DiCocco was named a National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Second Team All-American in 2022 and 2024 and was a four-time NFCA All-Region selection. DiCocco was the NESCAC Pitcher of the Year in 2022, the Rookie of the Year in 2021, and a four-time All-NESCAC honoree. She also received her second straight Rawlings Gold Glove Award® for her excellence defensively at pitcher. DiCocco finished the 2024 season ranked fifth nationally among the ERA leaders.
 
Gabriella Grattan, Trinity Women’s Soccer and Women’s Track & Field
Grattan earned a degree in economics with a minor in formal organizations and earned magna cum laude honors with a 3.79 GPA.
 
In the community, Grattan was a volunteer program leader for the MR8 Challenger Sports Program at the Boys and Girls Club of Dorchester, Massachusetts and volunteered at the Boys and Girls Club of Trinity College. She was also a member of the leadership group for Team Impact at Trinity. Grattan also worked as a research intern for a private equity firm while at Trinity and studied abroad at the London School of Economics.
 
Grattan, a two-sport athlete at Trinity, was a three-time All-American in track & field while also contributing to the women’s soccer team that qualified for the NESCAC Tournament three times and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2022. Grattan earned All-Region accolades three times as a high jumper and multiple All-New England laurels all three seasons. She captured the NESCAC title in the high jump in 2024 and was a four-time All-NESCAC performer while qualifying for the NCAA Championships three times during the outdoor season and twice during the indoor campaigns. Grattan, who owns Trinity’s indoor and outdoor high jump records, was also an All-Region selection in soccer twice. A captain for the women’s soccer team, Grattan was awarded the Robert R. Bartlett Award by Trinity, which recognizes members of men's and women's teams who excel in athletics while demonstrating dedication to community or campus service.
 
Audrey Lazar, Middlebury Field Hockey and Women’s Ice Hockey
Lazar, a two-sport athlete at Middlebury, earned a degree in molecular biology and biochemistry with a minor in global health while carrying a 3.74 GPA and graduating with magna cum laude honors. A Dean’s List student, Lazar was an eight-time NESCAC All-Academic selection, a four-time NFHCA All-Academic honoree and an AHCA All-American Scholar.
 
Lazar was the first intern for the Matthew Benedicts One Last Goal Foundation and contributed to three clinical publications while working in undergraduate research. Lazar was a mentor in the Women in Health Sciences Club and a member of the American Chemical Society. She also volunteered at the Yellow Hose, a residential community serving young adults with developmental disabilities, and the Charter House, a homeless shelter in Middlebury, Vermont.
 
Lazar won five NCAA titles during her career, four straight as a member of the field hockey team, and one with the women’s ice hockey team in 2022. Lazar was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2023 NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship game while also earning All-America honors the same season. A seven-time NESCAC Champion, Lazar was selected to the All-NESCAC Field Hockey Team in 2023 and was a two-time NFHCA All-Region player. Lazar was presented with Middlebury’s A. Bayard Russ Department Award which recognizes the senior student-athlete who is most outstanding in two intercollegiate sports by best exemplifying the excellence of performance, competitiveness, leadership, tremendous desire, and team spirit.
 
Michelle Louie, Middlebury Women’s Track & Field
Louie graduated from Middlebury with summa cum ladue honors, a 3.84 GPA, and a degree in molecular biology and biochemistry while also pursuing a minor in political science. While at Middlebury, Louie earned College Scholar honors for five semesters and was a six-time NESCAC All-Academic selection.
 
Over the last nine years, Louie and her family have raised service dogs from puppies for the Canine Companion organization.
 
A two-time All-American, Louie earned All-Region honors seven times during her career and was a five-time All-NESCAC performer. Louie is a member of the two Middlebury relay squads that own the school record in the 4x100 and 4x400 events. A team captain as a senior, Louie garnered All-Sportsmanship honors in 2024 and was presented with Middlebury’s Deborah Parton ’76 Memorial Award which is given to a member of a women’s team who best exemplifies the spirit and dedication of Deborah Parton.
 
Eleanor McGrath, Colby Women’s Swimming & Diving
An environmental science major, Eleanor McGrath of Colby College women’s swimming & diving graduated with honors with a 4.00 GPA. A four-time Colby Presidential Scholar and Dean’s List Student, McGrath was awarded the Colby Environmental Studies Science Prize.
 
McGrath spent two summers as a Colby College Summer Research Assistant assisting with ecological surveys and working on an independent honors research project. She also participated in the Johns Hopkins Engineering Innovation Teaching Assistant Engineering program for one summer. A Phi Betta Kappa inductee, McGrath was a three-time NESCAC All-Academic honoree.
 
A College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-American in 2024, McGrath was the NCAA Elite 90 Award winner for women’s swimming & diving. The honor recognizes the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average who has reached the competition at the finals site for each of the NCAA's 90 championships. McGrath qualified for her first NCAA Championship on the 1 and 3-meter boards in 2024. A three-time All-NESCAC diver, McGrath was the NESCAC Diving Career High Point Award winner at the 2024 championship. She also owns the Colby school record on the 3-meter board and was presented with the Patty Valavanis ’90 Award, which recognizes the female student-athlete with academic and athletic excellence and personal leadership and sportsmanship qualities.
 
Grace Wenger, Bates Women’s Swimming & Diving
A 14-time All-American at Bates, Wenger graduated with a degree in biochemistry and a 3.86 GPA. She was a Dean's List student and College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-American in 2024, earned the Bates Senior Scholar-Athlete honor, and was a three-time NESCAC All-Academic honoree, and a two-time CSCAA Scholar All-American.
 
Wenger participated in the Making Waves Breast Cancer Swim-a-Thon and the Ted Mullin Sarcoma Research Power Hour Swim annually over her career. She also taught swim lessons to children in the community and was a teacher in the B1st2Swim program. Wenger was also an annual volunteer for the Lewiston Trash Pick-Up Day to help beautify the city.
 
The Bates Female Athlete of the Year, Wenger was a team captain in 2024 and owns school records in the 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle, and as a member of the 200 and 800 freestyle relays. Wenger competed in the NCAA Championships three times during her career and posted four top-8 finishes. A seven-time All-NESCAC performer, Wenger won the NESCAC title in the 200 freestyle as a senior.
 
Emma Wheeler, Connecticut College Volleyball and Track & Field
A two-sport athlete at Connecticut College, Wheeler graduated with a 3.90 GPA and a degree in psychology with an economics minor. Wheeler was a Dean’s List High Honor student and a College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honoree three times. She was also named to the NESCAC All-Academic Team nine times as a member of the volleyball and women’s track & field teams.
 
Wheeler was a three-year member of Conn. College SAAC and a One Love Ambassador for volleyball and women’s track & field.
 
Wheeler earned All-NESCAC honors in the shot put in 2024, was a two-time New England Champion in the heptathlon, and won the pentathlon at the New England Indoor Championships. Wheeler garnered USTFCCCA All-Mideast Regional accolades in 2023 and 2024. The school record holder in the indoor pentathlon, Wheeler was presented with the Anita L. DeFrantz Award as the top female athlete at Conn. College in 2024.
 
Tatum Zupnik, Bowdoin Women’s Swimming & Diving
A swimmer at Bowdoin, Zupnik graduated with an economics degree and a 3.90 GPA. She was presented with the Bowdoin Book Award given to students who receive a 4.0 GPA for a full academic year and was a two-time Sarah and James Bowdoin Scholar, which recognizes students in the top 20 percent of each grade. A three-time CSCAA Scholar All-American, Zupnik was a three-time NESCAC All-Academic honoree.
 
She served as a teaching assistant in the psychology and economics departments and received the Economics Department Exemplary Service Award. Zupnik was a volunteer for the Brunswick Community Swim Lessons and Bowdoin Swim Lesson Program. She also participated in the Smart Woman Securities seminar at Bowdoin and was a member of the Bowdoin Finance Society. Zupnik was a member of the MacMillan Social House and Bowdoin SAAC, serving on the mental health subcommittee.
 
Zupnik, a captain of the women’s swimming & diving team, was a six-time All-American with a pair of top-8 finishes and earned All-NESCAC honors 11 times over her career. Zupnik owns the Bowdoin school record in the 50 freestyle and 50 butterfly events and is part of the three relay teams that set school marks. Zupnik earned the Charles Butt Award given to the Bowdoin female senior athlete with the most outstanding athletic contributions.

About the DIIICA: The Division III Commissioners Association became a stand-alone organization in January 1992, after previously serving as a combined group with the Division II Commissioners Association. The association is comprised of 43 NCAA Division III conferences, representing over 440 public and private institutions. The purpose of the DIIICA is to empower commissioners to effectively lead their conferences and positively impact Division III intercollegiate athletics by identifying challenges, developing solutions, and taking collective action that reflects the conference perspective.